Hello, Darkness My Old Friend...
For anyone living in today's world, there's plenty to be depressed about, really: global warming, oil prices, and the difficulty of scraping enough money in a month to meet one's expenses are, to name a very few, some concerns that can weigh on any person's mind.
To me, however, it seems that the alumni of Ateneo de Manila High School Batch 1993, Section 4J seems to find more occasion for depression than a lot of people. From brain tumors to comas to esoteric mutations of measles to rare liver conditions and most recently to dysfunctional kidneys, it seems that collectively, we J-Boys are better-acquainted with concepts like grief and loss than many, if not most of our contemporaries.
When Al Qaeda agents flew two jet liners into the World Trade Center, there were people who said that America was reaping the whirlwind from its exploitative incursions into the Middle East.
Well, I say, what have we done, either as individuals or a group, to deserve what's been happening to so many of us over such a long period of time? What countries have we impoverished, whose lives have we reduced to a smoldering ruin of misery? Last I checked, we're just a bunch of middling thirtysomethings, some of whom have found our way in life professionally and emotionally, while others among us are still trying to find our footing.
It's not even as if any of us got killed in a frat rumble or anything remotely as stupid. What's happened time and again is basically the hand of God descending time and again.
I realize that I'm rambling and ranting, and at the end of the day the closet optimist in me believes that there is a rhyme and reason to everything that's happened to us, but I can't help but feel bitter about everything that's happened over the last 15 years.
To me, however, it seems that the alumni of Ateneo de Manila High School Batch 1993, Section 4J seems to find more occasion for depression than a lot of people. From brain tumors to comas to esoteric mutations of measles to rare liver conditions and most recently to dysfunctional kidneys, it seems that collectively, we J-Boys are better-acquainted with concepts like grief and loss than many, if not most of our contemporaries.
When Al Qaeda agents flew two jet liners into the World Trade Center, there were people who said that America was reaping the whirlwind from its exploitative incursions into the Middle East.
Well, I say, what have we done, either as individuals or a group, to deserve what's been happening to so many of us over such a long period of time? What countries have we impoverished, whose lives have we reduced to a smoldering ruin of misery? Last I checked, we're just a bunch of middling thirtysomethings, some of whom have found our way in life professionally and emotionally, while others among us are still trying to find our footing.
It's not even as if any of us got killed in a frat rumble or anything remotely as stupid. What's happened time and again is basically the hand of God descending time and again.
I realize that I'm rambling and ranting, and at the end of the day the closet optimist in me believes that there is a rhyme and reason to everything that's happened to us, but I can't help but feel bitter about everything that's happened over the last 15 years.
posted by Jim Arroyo at 7:11 AM
6 Comments:
So you noticed too, eh?
Me, I figure we're just getting older. (That or we're stuck in a story were we were all involved in the killing of someone and it was hushed up and we're now paying the price ala The Grudge or something. But that's just me.)
Maybe we need to start sacrificing goats and cats to please the gods: Kalahaneia-weaia or Phil Collins.
Yeah, lemme see about them cats. Joey, you go round up the goats (note: Goatse != goats). Jim, you prep the hula-hoops. We're gonna entertain the deities like nobody's business.
Please, not cats. :-(
It's like saying we should sacrifice mga kalabaws. ;-)
Hell, I'm all for it. Cows, buffaloes, cats... they all taste great with barbecue sauce.
Or maybe it's like "The Frighteners" where we have numbers carved into our heads or something like that...
It must be said, though that as time goes on lifestyle is going to play a part in what's going on...and considering how prone we are to disaster, well...
Haha, imagine that, 4J all going Vegan and getting into Yoga! Hahahahahahahaha!!!
Well, aside from Jay, I don't think we're all that abusive of our bodies so I find it strange we're all undergoing a slow deterioriation of health issues. Ah well...
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